Incidents
On October 9, 2007, employees of the company shot at an approaching car in Baghdad. Two civilian women, both in the front seat, were killed: Marou Awanis, 48, a mother of three, and Genevia Askander, 30. The shooting has provoked strong outrage in Iraq, since it follows closely on the Blackwater Baghdad shootings of September 16, 2007 that led to the Iraqi government's attempt to ban Blackwater from Iraq. Both women have been identified as Armenian Christians.
The company defends the actions of its employees who fired over nineteen rounds of ammunition before speeding away from the scene. URG is the security provider for USAID contractor RTI International. RTI was however not the client under protection when the shooting occurred. The passengers in the back seat, including one child, survived the incident.
In March 2006, a URG employee was blamed in the shooting of a 72-year-old Australian at a checkpoint in Baghdad. The victim, Professor Kays Juma, had been a resident of Baghdad for 25 years and drove through the city every day. It was alleged that he sped up his vehicle as he approached the guards.
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“An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more interesting, softer legends more soft.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)